Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1 and//usccb.org/bible/1maccabees/6and1 1 MC 6and1-13 As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces,he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais,famous for its wealth in silver and gold,and that its temple was very rich,containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weaponsleft there by Alexander, son of Philip,king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city.But he could not do so,because his plan became known to the people of the citywho rose up in battle against him.So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from thereto return to Babylon.While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him newsthat the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flightthat Lysias had gone at first with a strong armyand been driven back by the children of Israelthat they had grown strongby reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessionstaken from the armies they had destroyedthat they had pulled down the Abominationwhich he had built upon the altar in Jerusalemand that they had surrounded with high wallsboth the sanctuary, as it had been before,and his city of Beth-zur.When the king heard this news,he was struck with fear and very much shaken.Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow,for he knew he was going to die.So he called in all his Friends and said to themand Sleep has departed from my eyes,for my heart is sinking with anxiety.I said to myselfand ‘Into what tribulation have I come,and in what floods of sorrow am I now!Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule.’But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem,when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silverthat were in it, and for no causegave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.I know that this is why these evils have overtaken meand now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land.” Responsorial Psalm and//usccb.org/bible/psalms/9and2 PS 9and2-3, 4 AND 6, 16 AND 19 R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heartI will declare all your wondrous deeds.I will be glad and exult in youI will sing praise to your name, Most High. R.I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord. Because my enemies are turned back,overthrown and destroyed before you.You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wickedtheir name you blotted out forever and ever. R.I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord. The nations are sunk in the pit they have madein the snare they set, their foot is caught.For the needy shall not always be forgotten,nor shall the hope of the afflicted forever perish. R.I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord. Alleluia and//usccb.org/bible/2timothy/1:10 SEE 2 TM 1:10 R.Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed deathand brought life to light through the Gospel.R.Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel and//usccb.org/bible/luke/20:27 LK 20:27-40 Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us,If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,his brother must take the wifeand raise up descendants for his brother.Now there were seven brothersthe first married a woman but died childless.Then the second and the third married her,and likewise all the seven died childless.Finally the woman also died.Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?For all seven had been married to her.”Jesus said to them, The children of this age marry and remarrybut those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming ageand to the resurrection of the deadneither marry nor are given in marriage.They can no longer die,for they are like angelsand they are the children of Godbecause they are the ones who will rise.That the dead will riseeven Moses made known in the passage about the bush,when he called ‘Lord’the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacoband he is not God of the dead, but of the living,for to him all are alive.”Some of the scribes said in reply, Teacher, you have answered well.”And they no longer dared to ask him anything.